Where Are They Now? From Montclair State Graduate to Author, Entrepreneur, Business Owner and Blogger

Ben Hinson, an alumnus of Montclair State University, is an author and now manages a website. Photo courtesy of Ben Hinson

Ben Hinson, an alumnus of Montclair State University, is an author and now manages a website. Photo courtesy of Ben Hinson

Ben Hinson’s life is ever-changing. One day, he could be doing analysis for a business client. Another day, he could be doing research for his website or a novel he is writing. He might be producing a promotional video for his online store. On top of that, he is also a father.

Hinson, of Union City, graduated from Montclair State University in 2004 with a bachelors of science in business administration and a concentration in marketing. Now, Hinson is an entrepreneur, an author, and he manages six blog style websites. In addition, he owns an online store.

Hinson was considered an international student, originally from Ghana, Africa. Before attending Montclair State, he went to Carson Long Military Institute located in Pennsylvania. During his three years there, he was part of the drill team and color guard as the color sergeant.

Hinson enjoyed his time at Montclair State, as well as the various jobs he had on campus, such as in the information technology department, where he would travel to other schools and update their operating systems, and in the alumni association, where he would do data entry. Hinson was also involved in a fashion show on campus, which made him into a “one-night celebrity,” in his words.

Between jobs and fashion shows, Hinson spent his time either at the gym, playing basketball or at the library. “I lived in the library,” Hinson joked.

After graduating from Montclair State, Hinson’s first job was as a sales representative at Nordic Track, where he built and sold treadmills.

In 2008, Hinson learned that one of his friends was diagnosed with HIV. This led him to start a research project on the disease, which then became a fiction story. When Hinson was attempting to get the story published, he was rejected multiple times due to the subject matter. He decided to self-publish his book instead. This was the start of Hinson’s company, Musings Press.

Musings Press is ultimately a media company. Hinson is greatly invested in his company, including his website at www.benhinson.com.

“That’s pretty much who I am,” Hinson said, referring to his website.

Hinson’s website is made up of six different blogs, including architecture, music and food. He writes all the blogs posted on the site. For the architecture part, Hinson researches different structures, talks to companies, interviews architects and delves into historical background. He has written about various architectural structures, including the Sydney Opera House in Australia,

Villa Isola in Indonesia and the Atlas Statue in New York.

Another aspect of Hinson’s website is called Hickam’s Dictum, which is described on the site as “an evolving collection of musings on business intelligence, leadership and technology.” This is where Hinson’s background in business comes into play.

He has worked in various departments, such as web analytics, digital advertising, analytics advertising and digital media strategy. The companies Hinson has worked for include Johnson & Johnson, Smucker’s, Direct TV and PNC Bank. He also does consulting with numerous businesses.

Hinson also released his first novel last year, titled “Eteka: Rise of the Imamba.” It is described on his website as “an action-packed historical thriller based on mercenary activity during the Cold War era and the 1990s.”

Hinson has plans to transform “Eteka” into a graphic novel. His goal is to eventually make it into an animated series.

In addition, Hinson also owns an online store called the Eteka Store. He explained that his online store is “one small part of my business.” This is where he sells his “I am the Boss” mugs and Eteka phone cases.

Hinson’s advice to college students is to “learn as much as you can.” He encourages students to build their skills as well.

Even though Hinson has created his own company, websites, online store, and is an author, he has one dream to still accomplish: to travel back to Ghana and build hotels.